Baseball: Will Dusty Wathan be Phillies' next manager?

The minor league manager, who spent five seasons with the Reading Fightin Phils, has paid his dues with this chance in mind.

What Wathan doesn't want is to publicly lobby for the job. It's not his style. It's not the approach that his players have grown to appreciate from him.

The Phillies fired manager Pete Mackanin Friday, an unexpected move that led to rampant speculation about a successor.

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The Philly media made their lists. Wathan's name was on them.

"Whatever they write, they write," he said. "Rumors are rumors. You never know what's going to happen in this game. This game is crazy."

Wathan's candidacy wasn't exactly pulled out of thin air. He has the credentials and the connections to be the perfect fit.

After years of rebuilding, the Phillies are inching closer toward winning and they're doing it with a core that will be mostly homegrown.

Wathan has managed the stars of the future, whether it's Rhys Hoskins, J.P. Crawford, Nick Williams or someone else. They loved playing for him and wouldn't mind doing so again.

"I think he'd do great," Hoskins said. "I've developed a relationship off the field with him. I think that's invaluable. He's somebody that lives the game, but if you're able to go to him with stuff that's off the field, it's pretty special to have when you walk into the clubhouse every day."

Wathan returned to Reading Saturday to help launch Rip It, Michael Spidale's new baseball facility on MacArthur Ave. near Reading Airport. Hoskins and four other Phillies who played in Reading were there to take photos with fans.

It's no surprise that Wathan helped out Spidale and Reading GM Scott Hunsicker, two of the owners of Rip It. The manager has built strong relationships through the years.

Wathan has managed in the Phillies system since 2008 and has steadily climbed the ladder from rookie ball to Triple-A.

The former catcher said he signed his first pro contract hoping he'd stick around long enough to become a coach. He played 14 seasons and immediately jumped into managing.

Wathan was the Eastern League Manager of the Year twice during his Reading days. He has reached the playoffs in four of his past six seasons, including this past season with Lehigh Valley.

"I love playing for Dusty," said reliever Hoby Milner. "He knows every in and out of the game. He has won with every team he's had with us. I think it's a good thing he's had all the players that are in the big leagues now. It would not surprise me if he was the manager next year but they don't tell us these things."

Phillies GM Matt Klentak, who inherited Mackanin from Ruben Amaro's tenure, hinted that he wanted a younger voice in the dugout to guide a youthful roster.

Wathan, 44, is just 10 years removed from his playing days. Although he has never managed or coached in the big leagues and only played three games at that level, he checks a lot of boxes.

No one knows the players who make up the future of the Phillies better.

"It's the ultimate goal," Wathan said. "Everything right now is speculation and talk. There's nothing to say about it until something comes to fruition."

Wathan has waited for his chance. He'll soon find out if the Phillies are ready to give it to him.